


Symphony of Chaos

by Yepitsausername



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Bonding, Dom Steve Rogers, Dom/sub Undertones, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Character of Color, Genetically Engineered Beings, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Praise Kink, Slow Burn, Subspace, Superheroes, Superpowers, Tags Are Hard, Wings, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2018-04-04 15:48:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4143468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yepitsausername/pseuds/Yepitsausername
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre Captain America Winter Solider - The Avengers stumble upon a top secret experiment involving a mysterious woman and ex-Shield scientists. Rogers feels a strange connection with the woman, but her dark past makes him wonder where she came from and where her loyalties lie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Everything was still. Tendrils of fog wound their way between the thin birch trees, coating the morning in a grey film. In the distance, the horizon hinted at sunrise as birds began to tentatively chirp in anticipation of daylight.

 Suddenly, the tranquility was shattered by the unmistakable sounds of mortar shells exploding in the near vicinity. The deep bass of the shells was accompanied by the rat-tat-tat of machine gun fire with a rhythmic hum-click-click-groaaaaan of tank tracks. The brassy trumpeting of a motorcycle added to the cacophony as it rose steadily in volume and ultimately culminated in a crescendo of explosions. Then the symphony of warfare ended as abruptly as it started. The forest was still again. Yet this time its stillness seemed the result of stunned silence. Perhaps the birds were not as eager for the day to start as they had been less than an hour before.  If any of the forest dwellers had been asleep, they were most definitely alert now.  Yet there was one creature who remained unaware of the morning’s excitement. She still hung suspended in a restless sleep; her limbs swaying slightly as her chest rose and fell in time to the quiet beeps and whirs of machinery. She remained oblivious even when a man clad in peculiar red and gold armor stepped into the room and gasped at the sight of her held upright in a metal frame. His face registered both horror and fascination for a moment, but fascination won out as he ran to the computers and began his investigation. He stopped for a moment and stroked his perfectly trimmed goatee. Then he leaned forward and read the screen in front of him.

“Barton!” He called as he looked fervently at the monitors. “Barton! Get Banner in here!”

“Confirm that the facility is cleared for Dr. Banner?” Barton stood with his back to the room, arrow set and ready to fly.

“What’s the situation, Stark?” A crisp, authoritative voice replied in his ear.

“It looks like they were keeping someone down here….From what I can see her medical equipment is wired into the base’s systems…..I have no idea what will happen if we try to remove her….Where’s Banner!”

A woman’s voice cut in. “Hostiles have been subdued; the situation is under control. It is now safe for Dr. Banner to enter the facility”

“Thank you, Romanoff. Stark, did you copy? Dr. Banner will be in shortly”

“Tell him to step on it, Capsicle. We’ve got quite the situation down here.” Tony Stark stopped typing and just stood staring at the screens before him.

“I’m here, what’s the problem?” Bruce Banner joined Stark and the unconscious woman. His tired eyes took in the scene before him before widening as he moved closer to the monitors.

“What? That can’t….Wait….did you try to shut down the program?!” He ran his fingers through his slightly salt and pepper hair.

“Maybe.” Stark folded the metal arms of his suit over his chest, defensively.

“Why would you touch anything before you figured out what was going on? This whole place is booby trapped!”

“All right guys….what’s going on? Fill us in.” The same voice broke in.

Dr. Banner looked Stark in the eyes for a few moments before answering. “Steve, It looks like they have a high value prisoner down here and – “

“How do you know she’s high value?” Stark interrupted.

“She’s wired into the electricity grid. She’s completing the circuit. If we don’t switch to the alternate grid pattern just right, the whole place is rigged to blow. Whoever she is, they don’t want her getting away. It looks like she’s being intravenously flooded with enough sedatives to knock out a horse plus the electric current. It’s going to take a while to map the system and find the correct alternate. That’s how I know she’s high value.”  Bruce Banner finished his explanation and started moving towards the metal bars holding the prisoner in question. “If we don’t follow the correct protocols to bring her to consciousness and disengage the electric current, everyone in this base will be blown to bits.”

“Well, shit.” Stark looked impressed. “What do you think, Banner…..twenty minutes to get this show on the road and we’ll be home in time for the game, yeah?”

Dr. Banner just rolled his eyes and started gently tapping keys on the keyboard. “Hey, do you think you can patch Jarvis into the system and have him map out the grid while we check the sedative dispensary systems for protocols?”

“You wish is my command. Jarvis?”

“On it, Sir.”

Information started whizzing across the screen at dizzying speeds, while Banner and Stark conferred in hushed tones and took turns tapping information into the computer.

Barton remained in the doorway, standing perfectly still, his keen eyes keeping watch. A tall, blond figure joined him and they stood for a few moments watching the two men at the computer.

 “What do you think?” Steve Rogers asked, as he swung a large round shield onto his back.

“I’m curious to see what kind of person has to be sedated with an electric current, Captain.” Barton’s eyes narrowed as they turned toward the figure held suspended in the metal frame.

“I’m with you on that one.” The blond walked farther into the room slowly approaching the unconscious woman. She was being held up by restraints in what appeared to be a curved metal container. It reminded him of half a tin can. Her back was hidden from view by equipment and the back of the frame but he could see her face and the front of her body. As he neared, he felt like every part of his body was being pulled closer to her. He stood in front of her and took in her situation. Even held up by machinery, he could tell she was probably a foot shorter than him. Her dark hair was pulled back so tightly there was no way of knowing how long it was. Her compact frame was clothed in what looked like a tight, black sports bra that completely showed her midrift and a pair of dark lycra pants. She seemed fit and soft at the same time, but her body wasn’t what captured his attention. His gaze was drawn to her heart shaped face, which was completely still with the exception of the occasional eyelid flutter and her full lips were pursed in what looked like concentration. Her dark, caramel skin glistened with a thin sheen of sweat. Her face would relax briefly, but her brow would immediately furrow and her lips would tense up again. Without thinking he reached his hand towards her face, but held back mere inches away.

The Captain turned toward the two geniuses at the desk. “Did you say electric current?!” He asked fervently.

Stark waved a hand in his direction, dismissively. “Yep, current. That’s what we said. You can read all about it in the report I’m sure Banner will write once we save the day.”

“She may be unconscious, but she must be feeling everything! How long has she been like this?!”

“What?” The three other men in the room turned towards the girl as they realized what the Captain was suggesting.

Stark turned back the computer. “Jarvis? How long has the subject been kept like this?”

“It has been just over 28 hours since her last rest period, Sir. From the files, it looks like it is a part of an extended battery of physical and psychological tests.” Jarvis replied in clipped, British tones.

“How much longer till we map the grid and find the protocols?” asked the Captain as he scanned the machinery. “How much time do we have if we bypass the protocols and interrupt the current?”

“If we interrupt the current at all, detonation will be immediate. She’s been handling this for days, what will a few more minutes hurt?” Stark turned back towards the computer.

In a blur of speed the Rogers had closed the distance between them and had Stark by both his Iron Man shoulders. “You might not understand this, but some of us in this room know the fear of being trapped and experimented on. How. Fast. Can. You. Do. This?”

For once Stark was speechless. Dr. Banner answered instead, “We need at least ten more minutes.”

“Do it. Clint, evacuate all non-essential personnel. If this place is rigged, who knows what could set it off.”

The ten minutes seemed to drag on for an eternity as Dr. Banner and Tony Stark alternated between conferring with Jarvis and scanning the medical monitors. Rodgers paced back and forth in the space between the computers and the girl in the metal frame. Barton watched from the back of the room, occasionally fielding questions on his com unit.

Finally, Stark looked the Captain in the eyes and said, “We’re ready. We need two people at the frame to turn off the IV drip and reset the heart monitor at the exact same time that Jarvis flips the current to the right breaker. If we’re even half a second off, we’re toast. Bruce, you have medical experience, can you reset the heart monitor?”

Dr. Banner nodded as he and Captain Rogers moved toward the frame. Banner showed Rogers the controls for the IV drip then moved to the heart monitor. 

“Is everyone in position?” asked Jarvis.

“Affirmative.”

“Yes.”

“On my mark. Three, two, one – Mark!”

Rogers and Banner both hit their switches at the same time. 

“Well,” Banner paused. “It looks like we’re all still here.” He didn’t seem overly relieved.

He and Rogers moved closer to the still unconscious girl. Banner moved his fingers to the inside of her wrist, “Her pulse is speeding up. She’ll be coming around soon. Let’s get her unhooked from all this equipment.” He started removing wires while Steve slid the IV out of her arm in one smooth motion. Then they started working on the restraints. They had both of her arms and one leg free from the clamps when suddenly, her body tensed up. Rogers stood up and started when he looked straight into her wide open eyes.

“Who are you?” Her voice was hoarse, but clear and calm.

Steve moved in front of her and started to reassure her, “Miss, we’re here to help you. We’re part of SHEILD and –“ The sound of mirthless laughter cut him off.

“SHEILD?!!” She kept laughing, then mid-laugh she set her hands flat on his broad chest and pushed with all her might. The Captain’s considerable mass went flying backwards into the room, knocking over desks and equipment. Then she ripped out her last leg restraint and knocked Dr. Banner out of her way in one smooth motion. Bruce didn’t have time to react and sprawled backwards blocking Iron Man’s attempt to intercept her. She was halfway to the door when she ran smack into an unmovable wall of muscle. She stepped back, swaying a bit, as if she was having trouble standing.  Rogers gripped the tops of her arms firmly, “whatever your problem with SHEILD is, we’ll work through it, please just –“ She interrupted him again, but this time it was by going completely limp and falling forward. He gently eased her down to the ground then stepped back in shock as he caught sight of her back.

“Are those…..” Stark leaned forward “Ok, who slipped a hallucinogenic into my lunch? Not that I’m opposed, but I wouldn’t mind a little warning.”

The four men stood in awkward silence as they regarded the crumpled figure.

“Sir, I’ve accessed some of her medical files and according to the data, she does indeed possess a set of fully functioning wings.”

“Yeah. Thanks captain obvious – where were you ten minutes ago?” Stark edged a bit closer and nudged one of her wings. “Wow.”

“Who knows how long she’s going to stay unconscious. Let’s get her back to base and find her some medical attention.” The Captain reached down and gingerly lifted her into his arms. “Hopefully she stays out for a while.”

“All right, you guys head out, I’m just going to check over a few things. I’ll be right behind you.” Stark turned towards the computers.

“What things?” Banner moved towards Stark. The man in the metal suit gave the doctor a subtle shooing motion saying, “Oh you know, stuff. Everyone’s evacuated, yeah?”

Bruce gave him one curt nod and joined the others. “Come on  guys, we need to get moving.”

Rogers and Barton moved into the hallway. Dr. Banner gave Stark one last look, raised one eyebrow, then moved after the other two men. “See you in a bit, then.”

About five minutes after they were in the air, they saw Stark fly past them in his suit. About two minutes after that, the underground base blew a crater in the surrounding wilderness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fury and the team don't always see eye to eye - and we learn about the girl's past.

**Chapter 2**

 

Nick Fury fidgeted with his eyepatch while he went over departmental inventory records. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat then stood up and walked to the giant window in his office. The he sighed in resignation and headed back to his desk and sat down, mumbling to himself, “Saving the world one stack of paperwork at a time, I guess.”  What he wouldn’t give for emergency to come up so he could avoid the stacks of forms he had to approve.  Nothing too bad, maybe just a portal to another dimension that needed closing, or an interplanetary renegade to hunt or something. Just as he’d talked himself into giving his full attention to the memo on interagency cooperation at the top of his stack, the door to his office suddenly slammed open and Steve Rogers came bursting in.

“Where is she?”

Fury steeled himself for confrontation and pretended to be completely immersed the file in front of him. Then he slowly looked up and said, “Who, Steve?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Fury.” Steve moved closer to the modern metal and glass contraption that served as a desk.  “The girl with the wings that we brought in this morning. Where is she?”

“Oh her.”

“Yes her. We brought her down to medical and I haven’t seen her since. She’s not in our records, no one seems to remember seeing her…She’s more than a tiny bit memorable. You know, with the wings and all.” He just wanted answers, at least that’s what he told himself….it had nothing to do with the fact that she was permanently etched into his brain. He needed to find out more about her and why she affected him so deeply.

“Tone it down Steve, sarcasm doesn’t become you.” Fury sat forward in his seat and opened his mouth to continue.

“You’re right Fury, everyone knows that sarcasm suits me much better.” Stark sauntered into the room and threw himself into a chair. He reached into a little plastic baggy in one hand and pulled out a grape. He inspected it briefly and popped it into his mouth. “How’s it going, Cap.” He nodded towards Rogers.

“I don’t remember having a fun little meeting with everyone to announce that I have an open door policy and beanie bags are an ok chair substitute. You two can knock next time before just bursting into my office. Even better, you can call my secretary and make an appointment. I’m a busy man.”

Steve said nothing, but his narrowed eyes and tense posture spoke volumes.

Fury leaned back in his chair. “She’s been moved to a secure section of the building while we try to asses her risk level. We have no idea where her loyalties lie or what she’s capable of. It sounds like if she hadn’t conveniently passed out on you guys we would have lost her. According to my last update she’s still unconscious. It’s a miracle Banner didn’t change when she pushed him. That had the potential to be at least as deadly as the explosives. Though we still haven’t been able to figure out what triggered the blast…good thing you guys got out of there in time.”  He leveled his gaze at Tony.

Rogers ignored Fury’s last comment. “She wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. She clearly has the strength and ability to use deadly force and all she wanted to do was get away. It sounds like she’s had previous encounters with SHEILD and whatever happened, we didn’t make a good first impression.”

“Exactly,” Fury interjected, “The explosion ripped through most of the information in the facility where she was being held – according to what little we could salvage, were studying gene therapy on rabbits. There’s no record of her in SHEILD’s database. We are completely in the dark with her. When she wakes up, there’s good chance she’s going to react violently and try to escape. The plan is –“

“Escape? Is she a prisoner?” Steve’s voice dropped a few degrees. “Last time I checked, saving people didn’t mean locking them in a cell. And if your wake up plan for her is anything like what you tried on me, it’s a terrible idea.” 

“Ok.” Fury took a deep breath. “What do you propose?”

“Well, uh….” For the first time in the conversation Rogers looked a bit lost.

“Stark Tower.”

Both men turned to look at Tony. “What?”

“We have medical facilities and apartment space while she’s unconscious. She can have her own room, and when she wakes up she’ll be in an apartment of her very own, with privacy in a place that has no obvious affiliation to SHEILD. Maybe she’ll at least give us her story and tell us what was really happening in that underground bunker.” Stark shrugged and munched on another grape.

“I don’t like it. What are you going to do if she gets out of hand like she did in the bunker?” Fury pushed his chair back from the desk, stood up and began pacing. “There are far too many variables.”

“What are _you_ going to do if she ‘gets out of hand’? Shoot her? Run an electric current through her to keep her sedated? This is the best idea we’ve got. In fact, Stark, tell Pepper she’s a genius.” Rogers also stood up then turned towards Fury. “I’ll be there, and so will Stark. She won’t take us by surprise.”

“Fine. But I don’t like it.”

“Pepper’s the genius? I’m the one that hired her!” Stark bounced out of his chair. On his way out the door he called back “All the arrangements are made, let me know when you’re sending her over. Fingers crossed she stays comatose.”

Steve started to leave, then turned back towards Fury. “I’m staying with her, you know. For however long it takes."

Fury just nodded and watched Steve head out after Stark. He puffed out his cheeks and let out a breath, then picked up the phone. “Get me Secure Level D, we’re moving a patient.”

 

“Hold the elevator!” Steve barely slid in before the doors closed completely.

“Oops, I pressed the close door button by mistake.” Tony made a show of pushing the open door button.  As the elevator began to move he held up a grape and began inspecting it closely.

“I really appreciate you helping me on this, Tony.”

“Oh you know, anything for the good of the country and all that.” Stark turned the grape over on his hands and began inspecting the other side.

“Something tells me you’re more invested in this than you want me or Fury to know.”

Stark stopped his grape inspection abruptly. “How about once we get our little angel settled in you can have dinner with Pepper and me.” The doors opened and he practically shot out of the elevator, “Great chat big guy, see you for dinner!”

Steve furrowed his brows and pressed the button for the 10th floor. Tony had some explaining to do at dinner.

 

 

The view was magnificent, the food was delectable, and Pepper Potts was graceful and charming as ever. But Steve barely noticed. He was oblivious to the view and blazed past the small talk. “Ok Stark, we’re here, what is it you couldn’t tell me in the elevator?”

Pepper smiled, sipped her wine and looked at Tony. He chewed his food slowly, swallowed then took a long pull from his beer. “Ok….so just listen and don’t judge me too harshly ‘till you hear me out.”

Steve just raised his eyebrows and motioned for him to continue.

“While we were figuring out the whole ‘let’s not blow up and kill everyone’ situation, I had a chance to breeze through some of the bunker’s files. The first thing I noticed, was a huge file on a piece of hardware that had Stark Industries written all over it. Then of course, there were the files on our fine feathered friend….but what really caught my attention was that everything had SHIELD written all over it.”

“WAIT – What? SHIELD was keeping her there and experimenting on her? Did Fury sanction it?! How could he – no, Fury has to be in the dark! Right?” Steve was running a mile a minute, till he looked at Stark who just sat with his arms crossed in front of him.

“Are you done?”

“Fine, fine. Finish your story, but stop enjoying it so much.”

Tony continued, “So this is the thing, everything was using common SHIELD protocols and encryptions, but after a little digging, it was clear that none of the files originated in SHIELD. They were all created on location at the base. Anyway, I didn’t have a lot of time, so I had Jarvis download the whole thing, wipe the files off the drives, and then blow the place up. Whoever it is, I don’t want them to know that we’re on to them.” He took another swig of beer and looked at Steve. “I haven’t had a lot of time to dig through the files, but I started with what’s right in front of us – Or rather, who is right in front of us.”

“Yes, the girl.” Steve leaned forward.

“Oh Pepper….he’s got a crush! It’s adorable! I guess he does have a type, winged and unconscious!”

Pepper narrowed her eyes at him, “Be nice, Tony.”

Tony grumbled under his breath good naturedly, “Ok, ok. Moving on. So, I still don’t know exactly who the scientists in the bunker were working for, but I can tell that two of them used to work for SHEILD over ten years ago, but the SHEILD protocols they’re using are newer than that. According to her file, her name is Eva Hayes. They don’t know how old she is, or where she came from. She popped up on their radar about two years ago. Apparently she got caught in an electrical storm a few miles off the coast of Russia and was struck by lightning. They found her burnt and unconscious and created the bunker so they could study her. When they found her, she had a chip wired into her vertebrae that, if signaled with a certain radio frequency, would paralyze her. But the lighting strike fried it completely. So it looks like someone was experimenting on her and perhaps even controlling her before she ever made it to the bunker. She doesn’t seem to have any memories from before the lightning strike.  I looked over the chip schematics, and –“

Here Stark paused, and looked at Pepper. She nodded encouragingly at him, but her face mirrored Tony’s solemn expression.

“The chip was made by Stark Industries. The technology looks about twenty years old, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen, but it’s even got our damn logo stamped on it.” All of his cocky, self-assured, bravado slipped away, and Steve could see how torn up he was. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” He repeated, “I just – I would have remembered if a project like this came across my desk. Even when we were working government contracts. Whatever was done to her, I’m responsible.” Tony got up and headed toward the wet bar in the corner of the room. He poured a generous helping of scotch into his glass and stood by the window looking out over the city. “She’s not fully human. I mean, she’s not an alien, but she has some feline and avian DNA mixed in. Her reflexes and senses are sharper, her muscles are denser, and she’s just physically more efficient. But that doesn’t seem to account for all of her abilities. That’s what they were trying to study. They were trying to reverse engineer her DNA and create a super soldier. They even had some of Dr. Erskine’s research – The leading theory was that she’d been exposed to some version of the Super Serum. Otherwise human cells won’t accept the animal DNA, that’s why, as far as we’ve come with genetic modification, we still haven’t created human/animal hybrids. Well that and the ethical debate…..” He realized he was rambling and stopped abruptly. Then he poured himself more scotch and turned to Steve. “So you realized why I had to destroy the base and get that girl away from SHIELD?”

Steve took a deep breath and whistled. “Wow.”

“Yeah. Wow.”

It was Steve’s turn to get up and look out the massive window. He turned towards Tony, opened his mouth to say something then shut his mouth and turned towards the window. “So she doesn’t remember anything? How do they know her name is Eva?”

“It was on the chip, so they assumed it was her name. There was some basic data on the chip that seemed to correspond to her stats.”

The two men stood side by side and took in the view. Steve turned towards Tony. “How much does Banner know?”

“He knows I’m up to something, but I haven’t told him much.”

“We should loop him in. We need his input and he has a right to know.”

“I agree. But what do we tell her when she wakes up?”

“Tell her everything.” Pepper stood up and joined them. “We need her to trust us and the only way to do that is to be completely honest. She’s spent the last two years imprisoned, tortured and lied to. We should tell her the truth, offer her our help, and let her do what she wants.”

They stood for a minute in silence mulling over the idea. Tony was the first one to speak, “If she wants to leave, what do we do? Just let a cat-bird-human super soldier who’s probably suffering from severe trauma just walk out the front door and wander around New York? Or I guess, she’ll probably fly around New York, so that’s fine. ”

Steve gave a half smile at the picture his imagination just created. “Let’s talk to her first, and go from there. What did her psych evaluations say? Not that they’d be very accurate, but did she seem reasonable or was she unstable?”

Stark raised his eyebrows and called, “Jarvis?”

“Sir, her psychological evaluations indicated that she was lucid and fully functioning. They did mention that she responded negatively to their examinations, and apparently killed five people before they discovered the method of restraint we witnessed first-hand in the bunker. But she was cognizant and scored very well on their intelligence tests.”

While Steve and Pepper’s expressions darkened at the words “responded negatively to their examinations”, Stark, on the other hand, seemed energized when he heard “intelligence tests”.

“What do you mean ‘very well’? What are we looking at here?”

Jarvis responded immediately, “Her reasoning, spatial relations, mathematics and logic skills were literally off the charts.”

“Well, there you have it, she’s a smart cookie. So hopefully she’s smart enough to let us help her.”

Steve turned towards Pepper and Tony and offered his glass of iced tea in a toast. “To honesty!” All three clinked their glasses together and hoped for the best.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eva wakes up and has some breakfast while she gets her bearings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, ya'll. I finally worked on the next chapter. Things have been a bit hectic, and I'm using this as a break from a really deep and emotionally exhausting project, so bear with me while I update when I can. I'd love to hear feedback! Love it? Hate it? Comment and tell me why!

Chapter 3

Silence. That was the first thing she noticed when she woke up. She kept her eyes closed and reveled in the absence of the clicks, whirrs and beeps that accompanied medical monitoring equipment and computers. She smiled, and drifted back to sleep. 

When she woke again, she was still surrounded by beautiful silence. She also realized that she was lying unrestrained in a very soft bed. Everything smelled clean and fresh without any of the pesky artificial smells that she hated. She sniffed again. She could smell a bouquet of wildflowers nearby. She could also smell the unmistakable scent of man. Not the smell of a dirty, sweaty man, nor was it the over powering smell of too much cologne and aftershave. Just a hint of masculinity to indicate that a man had spent a decent amount of time in the room. She’d smelled it before, but she couldn’t quite place it. But it was a pleasant, comfortable smell. She tucked it away and moved on to her other senses. The sheets felt like satin and she was wearing different clothes. She peaked her eyes open, and to her delight, the room was bathed in cheerful morning sunshine. When was the last time she’d seen sunlight? Her memory was hazy. Slowly she sat up and took in her surroundings. She was lying in the middle of a king sized bed in a large bedroom. The room was furnished in a simple, masculine style yet there was a vase filled with flowers on the dresser. The sunlight was filtering through a large bank of windows on the east wall. 

Moving her legs to the edge of the bed she swung her feet onto the floor. She was wearing some sort of stretchy pants that were wildly comfortable and tank top with an open back to accommodate her wings. She stretched every muscle in her body including her wings – God that felt good. Again, how long had it been since she’d had enough sleep and been able to stretch out completely? She couldn’t seem to remember. She felt like she should be on high alert, but she couldn’t bring herself to stress about it. Mainly, she needed to pee. There were two doors two the left of her, and she figured one of those was likely a bathroom. She stood up and headed toward the first one. Sure enough, it lead to a wash room with a corner shower, and a lovely oversized tub in the middle of the room. 

After relieving herself, she gazed longingly at the tub, but knew she needed to get her bearings and asses her situation. So she reluctantly left the bathroom and headed toward the other door. The first thing she noticed was the noise. As soon as she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, she could hear so much. And smell! She knew immediately that the same man who had been in her room was at the end of the hallway cooking bacon, eggs, toast and coffee – and she could smell fresh fruit, orange juice and someone else. It was almost too much. She turned to head back into the room, but steeled herself and headed back towards the noise and smells. As she stepped out of the hallway into the open kitchen and living area, she saw a muscular, blond man at the stove, and another shorter man pouring a cup of coffee. 

“Good Morning! Coffee?” The shorter man turned towards her with a steaming mug. 

She stood in silence for a moment and took in the man, his perfectly manicured goatee, and the coffee, and immediately, the events in the bunker came flooding back. How could she have forgotten? She shifted her weight and looked for exits. The windows probably weren’t an option, high rises usually had reinforced plexiglass, and the tall blond man was between her and the door. So she said nothing and backed into the living area and sat down facing them. 

“Not a coffee drinker then. Orange juice? Everyone likes orange juice.” He poured a glass and brought it into the living room. He moved very slowly and deliberately, silently acknowledging that she felt cornered. He set the orange juice on the coffee table about five feet away from her and turned back into the kitchen. Her stomach chose that moment to announce to the world that she was ravenous. She figured if they’d wanted to drug her they could have done it while she slept, so she edged forward and grabbed the juice. After one tentative sip, she drank down the entire glass. She knew she’d had orange juice before….She could remember what it was, but she just couldn’t remember when or where she’d had it. But this particular juice tasted divine. She desperately wanted more, and the smell of cooking was driving her crazy. Her stomach rumbled again.   
The blond man started setting out three places at the table. She watched him for a moment, taking in his scent. Why did she like that smell so much? If she had to describe the olfactory sensation, she’d have to say he smelled familiar and safe. Was that even possible? She looked out the window and waited in silence.

When everything was set, the he looked at her and said, “I’m Steve and this is Tony, would you please join us for breakfast?” 

“Since you asked nicely…..” She headed toward the table, and sat in the chair closest to the door. She considered running, but she knew she wouldn’t get far without something in her stomach, so she might as well eat. She piled her plate high with eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. No one seemed to want anything from her so she just focused on putting as much food in her stomach as possible. Three plates of food later she finally started to slow down. She looked over at the man who’d introduced himself as Steve, and realized that he was keeping up with her while Tony had finished a while ago and was leaning back in his chair drinking his coffee and studying her. She turned towards the two of them and asked, “So you’re SHIELD, eh? You don’t seem like it. Well, maybe blondie over here, he’s uptight enough,” She gestured towards Steve with her half eaten toast, “but neither of you seem to sweat pure evil, so I’m having a hard time picturing you as the devil’s henchmen.” She hoped that by acting a bit antagonistic towards Steve, they wouldn’t pick up on her fascination with him and his smell. 

“Ha! Hear that, Rogers? She’s known you for less than fifteen minutes and she can already tell you’re uptight!” Tony took another sip of coffee, then set his mug on the table chuckling while Steve rolled his eyes at him. “Before you judge us too harshly, how about we start things off with telling you what we know and then hearing your side of things?” She nodded so he continued “I’m stuffed, so let’s move into the living room for story time.” Tony grabbed his mug, and found a seat on the couch, away from the exit. Steve put the dishes into the sink, grabbed his coffee and joined them. 

 

Steve,Tony and Bruce had been up since dawn going over Eva’s files trying to piece together her story when Jarvis’ crisp voice broke their concentration. “Sir, Eva’s heart rate is steadily rising and she seems to be close to waking up. Would you like me to reduce the tinting on her windows?”   
“Yes, thank you Jarvis.” Stark looked at Steve and Bruce. “Show time!”   
They had agreed beforehand that Steve and Tony would be present when she first woke up, the theory being that too many people might spook her. Not to mention, if she had a violent outburst, the Other Guy might not be the key to ensuring her trust.

Steve and Tony headed up the elevator to where Eva was staying in Steve’s specially built guest quarters in Stark Tower. When they got to the apartment the two men headed to the kitchen to start cooking. Based on her files, she’d been kept on basic rations for the last two years. Her metabolism was almost as efficient as Steve’s and no doubt she would be hungry when she woke. It didn’t hurt that cooking seemed domestic and nonthreatening.

Ever since he had walked in and seen her trussed up in that lab, Steve couldn’t get her out of his mind. There was something about her he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He knew he’d never seen her or heard of her, but she seemed familiar to him in some way. He shook his head and focused on scrambling eggs and flipping pancakes.   
As soon as she opened the door to the hallway he looked up and waited for her to come into view. He could hear her hesitate with the door open, then tread softly into the dining room. She was every bit as stunning as he had remembered. But this time she seemed rested and very much alive. Her dusky skin glowed and with her hair down he could see that it fell just below her shoulders in a mass of kinky curls. The tops of her silver wings framed her dark features perfectly and the tips brushed the ground behind her like the train on a long gown. He looked into her wide eyes and could see she was anxious, but she was keeping herself together. He had thought of what to say to her, but it all left him and he quickly preoccupied himself with not burning the toast. Stark saved the day by offering her coffee – why hadn’t he thought of that? – and bringing her orange juice. Steve did notice that she had positioned herself so she had a direct route to the door without even glancing towards it; he wondered if that was instinct or training.   
After she started drinking the orange juice, he heard her stomach rumble, and he knew they made the right call by making breakfast. He finished everything as quickly as he could and set the table. He could feel her eyes on him, but whenever he looked up she was solemnly contemplating her empty glass. He cleared his throat, introduced himself and Tony and invited her to breakfast. 

He was fascinated by how her wings seemed to fit her small body so naturally. He had imagined that moving around a small space with added weight and mass would be clunky, but she made it look effortless. She sat on her chair with one wing hanging over each side of the seat and began loading her plate with food. She gave herself heaping portions, but managed to eat it with impeccable manners. Tony finished eating after a plate of food, but Eva and Steve continued eating for a while. When they finally stared to slow down, Tony invited her to the living room to hear them out, and to his surprise, she agreed. While Steve took the dirty dishes to the sink, Eva poured herself a cup of coffee added a few splashes of cream and followed Tony to the living room. 

As Steve followed Eva into the living room, he stepped closer to her than he’d been since he first saw her in the bunker. His body was hyper aware of presence; he felt that he could close his eyes and know exactly where she was in the room. She had a magnetic quality about her and it took everything in his power not to sit next to her on the couch. He walked past her as casually as he could and took a seat across from her. Tony sat in the chair next to Steve, cleared his throat, and turned to Eva.  
“So, Eva, before we stumbled across you in that lab, we had no idea you existed. We were following up on a lead, and ran into far more resistance than we anticipated. Once we found and freed you, I salvaged your files and everything that I am about to share with you comes from those files.” He picked up a tablet from the table next to him and started typing. Files and diagrams began to pop up on the large TV at the end of the room. 

“Wait - My name is Eva?” She stood up and approached the screen. 

Steve looked at Tony and he could see they shared the same rage and indignation. Not only had those monsters experimented on her, but they had gone two years without even calling her by her first name. Steve took a deep breath and bit his tongue. It wouldn’t do her any good to see him angry right now.

“From the information in your file, it is very likely that your name is Eva Hayes,” He said as gently as he could.

“Eva” She formed the name on her lips again. “Yes, that feels right.” She nodded and looked back at them. Her large eyes and supple lips gave her face a very sweet quality. Steve had a hard time reconciling the vulnerable girl in front of him with the super soldier who reportedly killed five people during her “examinations”. How anyone could look into those doe eyes and cause her pain was beyond him. 

“We don’t know who the people who held you were working for, but we do know that they don’t pop up on any official SHEILD programs. But, they were using SHEILD protocols. So for now, we are keeping you away from SHIELD completely until we find out what’s going on. You are currently in Stark Tower and we’re in Steve’s personal quarters.” Tony went on to give her the information they had gathered from her files, from being struck by lightning to when they found her.   
To Steve’s surprise, Tony even told her that the chip came from Stark industries. Eva didn’t say very much, occasionally she would ask a question, but for the most part she just listened while reading the information Tony put on the screen. 

“So, here we are now.” Tony gestured vaguely at the room around them. “You have no reason to trust us, but we’ve given you all the information we have. I for one, am very invested in getting to the bottom of your story, and finding out what part Stark Industries and SHEILD have to play in all of this. You are free to stay here as long as you like, and if you choose to leave, I want to help you as much as you will allow. If you decide to stay, I’m remodeling the other apartment on this floor. It would be yours completely and you would be free to come and go as you please. It’s the least I can do considering that I’m in charge of the company that may very well have caused you great pain and suffering. What would you like to do?” 

 

Eva. Eva Hayes. She kept rolling the name around in her head while she listened to Tony. It felt familiar. It felt right. Yes, she could be Eva Hayes. She believed Tony and Steve. Everything they told her matched with what little she remembered and hints that she picked up from the scientists during her time underground. She wanted to be suspicious of their generosity, but she could tell Tony felt genuine sadness and regret for his company’s part in her past, and Steve…. Well, as much as she avoided making eye contact with him, she had a hard time looking at his honest, open face without wanting to believe him. When he sat across from her, it was almost too much to bear. She had to get up and move away to keep her head clear and focused. Not only was she desperate to find out about her past, but now she needed to know about this Steve too. What she did to him in the bunker should have left him in the hospital. But here he was walking and talking as if she never threw him across the room. And his smell – she shook her head and focused on what Tony was saying. 

“What would you like to do?” he asked.

What did she want to do? She had no idea. Part of her wanted to run from all this nonsense. But run where? Until twenty minutes ago she hadn’t even known her own name. But would they really let her stay no strings attached? Being a prisoner in a beautiful high rise apartment with orange juice was better than being tortured in a bunker, but she would still be a prisoner. The only way to know if they truly meant what they said was to ask for freedom and see what they did. 

“You know what I want to do?” She looked over her shoulder with a gleam in her eye. “I want to stretch my wings and fly!”

And to her complete and utter surprise, Steve grinned and said “Let’s make it happen!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phew, that took a million years to post, but hey, it's done! Forward progress is better than no progress. 
> 
> Thanks for bearing with me, folks.

Chapter 4

Steve bounded out of his chair, “What do you think, Tony? The roof?”

“Perfect!”

As they moved towards the door, Steve hesitated, and looked at Eva. Her file indicated that her senses were exceptional, which was part of the reason they put her in Steve’s sound insulated apartment. They wanted her to be in a quiet environment when she woke up. But now they were about to leave the relative security of the apartment, and bombard her with new sounds, smells, and people. His own hearing was extraordinary, and it had taken him a little while to get used to sorting out the sounds of the city and focusing his attention after his transformation. All of this went through his head in an instant, but Eva picked up on his hesitation. She paused, tilted her head and for the first time, made eye contact with him.

Everything seemed to stand still and for a moment it was just the two of them. As he fell into the deep pools that were her eyes, he felt like he caught a glimpse of the last two years. The tests and experiments and even worse, the captivity. He saw past the sweetness of her features to the strong, fierce fighter underneath. He saw her need for freedom. Her need to be in charge of her future. And he understood. Then, as suddenly as it hit him, the moment passed and time resumed its natural pace.

She was still standing there looking at him, so he took a deep breath, reached for the door and said, “Just a warning, this apartment is sound proofed. It will get much louder as soon as we go out into the hallway.”

Eva gave no indication whether or not she had shared any of the intense connection he felt moments before. She just gave him a bemused look and said, “Thanks for the warning.”

He opened the door and led them out into the hallway towards the elevator.

Tony seemed oblivious that anything out of the ordinary had happened, and pointed as they walked past a door, “That’s the apartment we’re getting ready for you, and the other door is Bruce’s place. You’ll meet him soon.”

The three got into the elevator, and Jarvis’ voice came out of the speaker, “The roof, Sir?”

“Thanks, Jarvis.”

Eva looked at Tony and raised her eyebrows questioningly.

“Jarvis is the artificial intelligence program I created to help me run things…he’s an assistant of sorts. His name stands for Just Another Rather Very Intelligent System. Mainly I just made the acronym to fit the name of my childhood butler.” Tony was trying to play it off, but his chest swelled with pride. Steve shook his head internally. God, Tony loved showing off.

“Ah.”

This was the closest he’d been to her since the bunker, and he studied her out of the corner of his eye. Eva had excellent posture, but still managed to look deceivingly relaxed. She had to be bursting with anticipation of being out in the air doing what she was made to do. How did she look so calm? Steve noticed that her default face was a carefully crafted mask of neutrality. Even when they were tossing her world upside down and telling her that she was a human hybrid super soldier, the only point that she had shown any strong emotion was when she found out what her name was. He desperately wanted to know her side of things, beyond the cut and dried facts in her file.

 

She was grateful for Steve’s warning about the noise change when they moved into the hallway. It took a bit of concentration to filter out all the background noise, and focus on Stark. She could hear traffic faintly in the background, the whirring of the air vents, random noises from around the building, even her own heart beat seemed louder. She soldiered on, though, until they reached the elevator at the end of the hall. It was overwhelming being in such a small place with the two men, and having Steve right next to her wasn’t helping her concentration. His smell engulfed her, and it seemed as if every molecule in her body was drawn towards him. She shook herself and turned her attention to Tony’s explanation of his disembodied butler. He was clearly a brilliant man, and outrageously full of himself, but she couldn’t help but like him.

She turned toward him and tilted her head, “Tell me about the armor you were wearing in the bunker.” She knew that widening her eyes and tilting her head while looking up at someone usually had a disarming effect on people and they generally told her more than they planned – but how she knew that was a mystery to her.

“Ah, my Iron Man suit! That little gem has a whole origin story to it, but essentially, I got injured and captured, so I made a crude version of the suit to escape, then using the same core concepts, I refined the mechanics until I came up with the suit you saw. In fact, I’m still refining it. I’ve got this little project I’m working on right now that utilizes the recoil from the missile banks to cycle power back into the suit….”

Eva lost herself in Tony’s description of the suit’s technical specifications, filing away the information for future use. Her brain automatically started sorting the suit’s strengths and weaknesses, planning potential attack and defense strategies. It was an impressive system, and by the time they reached the roof, she had a healthy respect for both Stark and his accomplishments. She mentally concluded that in the event of an altercation she had a much better chance of eliminating the man than the suit. Her subconscious tucked the information away as the elevator doors opened.

She stepped out of the elevator and suddenly she was alive again. Wind in her face, noise, smells and the lovely, lovely sky above her head. She desperately wanted to fall on her knees and cry with relief and joy. How long had it been? She was free! Steve and Tony were walking alongside her, watching her reactions, and she mentally kicked herself when she realized that her hands and wings were outstretched completely towards the heavens while she grinned up at the sky like a fool. She exerted all of her self-control, brought her extremities back to her sides, and merely allowed herself to smile up at the sun. 

“Don’t do that.” Steve had turned towards her with his brows furrowed.

“Do what?”

“Don’t hide your joy. There isn’t enough happiness in this world as it is.” His tone was matter of fact, but she could see a sadness in his eyes. Why was he showing her his vulnerability? What was his game? It was all too much, and she just turned away and started running. She gloried in the feel of her muscles working, her massive lungs pulling in air, and the wind rushing past her as she built up speed.  Then she ran out of roof and became part of the sky. Her wings pushed the air down and her body soared. This is what she was made to do and she did it beautifully.

Up, up and up – she pushed herself as high as she could and even with her enhanced eyesight Stark tower was just a tiny dot in a slightly larger dot of the city. She rolled and dipped and twirled in and out of the clouds. She turned her brain off and pushed her body to its limits. Once she was over the water, she dived straight down towards the water pulling up at the last instant. She skimmed the surface with her hand as she flew over the ocean spray. She tasted salt water running down her face, a mixture of the Atlantic and her tears. Then she moved up again, near the clouds and found a thermal lift to ride. Her slivery wings glided over the air and she finally let herself think again.

 

Eva Hayes. She rolled the name around on her tongue again. She had a name. She was a person. For two years, she’d been poked and prodded and called “The Subject”.  They had frozen her and electrocuted her, starved her, and beaten her, but the worst thing they had done was treat her like she wasn’t a person. Like she didn’t exist. Her life memory was spotty, she barely remembered anything from before the bunker, but she had banks and banks of facts and information stored in her brain. She had almost escaped right at the beginning. If she had been fully functional, she would have been free within an hour of regaining consciousness. But she was badly hurt, confused and had made her move too soon. She could still taste the blood and smell the bodies of the scientists and guards she’d killed. They had pumped her with an electric current then, and when she finally awoke strapped to that horrible contraption they had rigged for her, she started to believe that maybe she wasn’t a person. Just a tool. Just another machine for them to take apart and replicate.

She replayed her interactions with Steve and Tony in her mind. Tony had endeared himself to her with his intelligence and snarky comments and her fascination with Steve was more than clinical. What had that weird moment been when they were leaving the apartment? It was like when they made eye contact he could see her – Truly see her. She didn’t think she liked it, but she wanted to feel it again.   _Get yourself under control, girl. Just because you’re being treated like a person for the first time, doesn’t mean you get to crack. In fact, you need to keep your defenses up more than ever._

She scolded herself for her show of weakness on the roof. No emotional attachments, nothing to stop her from doing anything she needed to protect herself. For all she knew, they were working in tandem with the bunker scientists and this was just another phase in her testing. With that settled, she realized she was beginning to tire and it was almost dusk. She knew exactly where she was in relation to Stark Tower and adjusted her path to take her back. When she landed, the roof was empty, but the door to the building was still open. She tucked her wings behind her and glided quietly through the doorway.

 

 

Steve sat at the wet bar and stared out the huge window overlooking the city. This was the same place where less than twenty four hours ago he and Tony and Pepper had discussed Eva while she was still unconscious. It seemed forever ago.  He stood up and sipped the scotch Tony had poured him. Tony knew he couldn’t get drunk, but he still insisted on pouring him drinks. He wondered if Eva’s metabolism broke down alcohol the way his did. He wondered if he’d ever get a chance to find out.

“She’s coming back.” Tony looked at Steve over the computer screen he was fiddling with.

Steve was a little taken aback by Tony’s genuine tone, but before he could respond, Tony ruined it by adding, “The GPS tracking device I had implanted under her skin shows that she just turned back toward the Tower and should be arriving in a few minutes. Damn, she can move!”

“You put a tracker in her and didn’t think to consult me?!”

“Well of course I didn’t consult you….I figured you’d get all self-righteous and huffy.” Tony kept tapping away on his laptop. “Plus, it’s just smart, what if she went on a murderous rampage through New York? Or decided she wanted to eat seagulls? We still don’t know much about her, you know.”

Rogers surprised Tony by downing the rest of his scotch, and replying “Fine. But as soon as we determine she’s not a potential threat, you’re telling her about it and removing it.”

“That works for me.” Tony sipped his own scotch while Steve went back to staring out the window.

He may have been looking out the window with his eyes, but the beautiful sunset was lost on him. All he was seeing was the look on Eva’s face while she held her wings and face up to the sky. She was so natural in the air, he had just stood and watched her until she was a speck in the clouds. He had so many abilities, and after being trapped in his small feeble body for so long, his strength was still a blessing to him. He relished the ability to run up stairs, to exert his body without collapsing from asthma or heart palpitations. But he could only imagine what it was like to be made to fly.

Suddenly, the air in the room changed. It was electrified – what felt like static electricity prickled his arm hair, and his eyes were pulled toward the doorway. He hadn’t heard her come in, which was a feat by itself, but in her absence he had forgotten how strongly he was pulled towards her.

She looked at him with that same neutral look on her face and simply said “I’m back. When’s dinner?”


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Dinner was a simple affair, but Eva ate heartily. Flying had taken a lot out of her and she really just wanted to sleep after her excursion, but she dared not let them know just how weak she was. So she watched the two men out of the corner of her eye and mimicked their posture. She watched Stark wipe up his tomato sauce with the crust of his garlic bread so she did the same then leaned back in her chair. She and Steve had demolished the spaghetti and salad, and now she was just sipping her water.

Tony had offered her a drink, but while she knew what alcohol was, she had no idea how it affected her body. Another bit of missing information. She figured later she’d swipe a bottle from the bar later and try drinking it by herself to see what happened. For now the water tasted wonderful.

She was comfortable in the silence, but it obviously made Stark antsy. “Did you have a good flight?” He asked, awkwardly.

“I enjoyed myself.” She shrugged. It was painfully obvious how desperate she’d been to stretch her wings, there was no point in denying it.

“Good, good.” Stark shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Silence again. Stark looked at Steve for help, but he just sat, uselessly chewing his food, seemingly mesmerized by the noodles on his plate. “We’ll have to go out flying sometime and I’ll show you some of the sights.”

Did he want to show her the sights, or keep an eye on her? Eva lowered her eyes slightly and took another sip of water to buy time. It would be nice to have him point out landmarks and give her a bit of a tour so she could get an idea of where everything was. It would also give her a chance to assess that suit of his, but it would in turn give him a chance to size her up as well.

 “Sure, that sounds great!” She said enthusiastically. “Thank you!”

Steve stood up abruptly and began clearing dishes. Eva dreaded what would come next, she desperately just wanted some alone time to process and sleep. Her wings felt like they weighted a million pounds and her head was beginning to hurt. _Can’t let them know_ she thought to herself. She gathered her strength, and bounded out of her chair, grabbed a few plates, and began taking them into the kitchen. “Let me help with that, it’s the least I can do after what you guys have done for me.” The smile Steve gave her almost made her wish that she was being genuine, it seemed so sincere and grateful. They made short work of the clean up, but Eva was close to shaking with exhaustion when they finished. _What’s wrong with me? I can take an electric current for days on end, but a few hours of flying and I’m done for? What kind of super soldier am I?_  She needed to sit down.

“Um,” she hid her shaking by shifting and acting a bit embarrassed. “Where’s the ladies room?” Stark pointed down the hall, “Second door on the left.”

“Thanks!” She couldn’t get out of there fast enough. As soon as the door shut behind her she slumped to the ground and began shaking uncontrollably.

 

Steve watched her head down the hallway and turned to pour himself a glass of water. She seemed off somehow, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. He turned off the water and heard the door shut down the hallway. Then his keen ears picked up a thud. He turned to look at Tony, but the man was checking his tablet, oblivious to the sound. What was she doing in there? He turned his attention to the bathroom, and heard a small cry. Suddenly he found himself at the door,

“Eva?” No reply

Now that he was closer he could hear labored breathing.

“Eva are you ok? Do you need help?” Nothing. Tony was coming down the hallway.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know!” He forced the door open in one small motion and looked in. Eva was laying on the floor just inside the doorway, eyes wide open, fists clenched, shaking violently. He bent to scoop her up, but as soon as he touched her everything changed.

 

_He was in a cold room, barefoot, wearing a strange open backed gown. He looked around and realized he was in a lab._

_“Breathe in for me, Dear” He looked for the source of the voice and saw a kind looking black woman in a white lab coat standing at a bank of machinery. He felt himself breathe in as instructed._

_“Good, now as you exhale extend your wingspan.” He realized he was Eva. He felt her powerful wings spread out behind her._

_“Good job. Everything looks good, Eva.”_

_“Thank you, Dr. Butler” Eva stood patiently and waited for the doctor to unhook the contact points from her arms and head. This felt like a comfortable routine for them both._  
  


_The woman came over and stood in front of her. She bent down and looked at Eva with twinkling eyes. “You’ve been very patient with your tests today. How would you like to go stretch your wings out now?”_

_“Oh, yes please!”_

_Steve could feel the excitement coursing through her as she quickly changed her clothes and ran out of the lab towards an open door. As she ran her wings began to extend on either side of her._  
  


_“Wait till you’re outside, little angel!” The doctor’s voice called out behind her. “Remember, one hour!”_

_Eva laughed and kept her wings tucked till she reached the door then exploded into the air. Steve felt the wind flow past her and the natural rhythm of her wings as they lifted her into the sunlight. He tried to get a feel for how old she was. She was so tiny, he caught glimpse of her hand in front of him. Small fat little toddler fingers. She must be three or four. He couldn’t concentrate much longer, as he was caught up in her fun. She dipped down to join a group of birds as they flew out over the ocean. They didn’t seem to mind her company, and she giggled as she twirled in and out of their formation. Soon she grew bored with them and dived down towards a grassy hillside near the beach. She skimmed the grass, reached her hand out to pluck a little white flower, then rose back up into the clouds. Then she drifted down to sit on a nearby rock and looked down. Steve took the opportunity to look at the landscape and try to figure out where they could be. The ocean spread out before them, and to their right he could see beach and empty grassland. Farther away mountains stood tall, covered in a carpet of evergreen forest._

_Suddenly she sprang into the air once again, and after a bit more frolicking she turned inland. They neared a little dip in the landscape, and she banked towards a clearing with a little house and large barn. The scene was idyllic, save for the large military style Humvees surrounding the clearing. He could feel Eva’s heartrate increase, and she landed at a dead run moving towards the barn. As she approached the doorway, strong hands grabbed her around the waist. She screamed and struggled with all her might. She kicked out and felt a crack under her foot followed by a curse. Suddenly she was dropped on the ground. She turned her fall into a roll and ran into the barn. They were in the lab again, but this time instead of the neat, sterile scene they had left, everything was in disarray. Tables were overturned and shattered glass covered the ground, but little Eva stopped dead at the sight of her kindly doctor sprawled out on the floor, her crisp white lab coat covered in bright red stains._  
  


_“Evie. Little Angel.” The hoarse whisper barley reached her keen ears. Eva ran over to her and kneeled beside her._

_“Dr. Butler -“ Eva choked, tears running down her face. She tried to wipe the blood off the lab coat._

_“I wish I could protect you. I tried to keep you from this. You’re too good for them.” Dr. Butler grimaced and grabbed her little hand. “Promise not to forget me. Promise you won’t forget how much I love you. Don’t let them change you!”_

_“I don’t understand!”_

_“Promise me!”_

_“I promise!” Sobs wracked her body as Dr. Butler’s kind face went slack. “I promise….”_

_Again, hands grabbed her, but this time she didn’t fight. She kept staring towards the body on the ground. The hands carried her away, but she just kept repeating “I promise, I promise”_

_As she was carried out, Steve caught a glimpse of the little white flower she had picked earlier. She must have dropped it when she landed. A large boot stepped on the flower, crushing it in to the dirt._

“Steve! Steve! Snap out of it, Capsicle!” He opened his eyes to find Tony’s face uncomfortably close to his. “Oh, phew! You’re back!”

“What...what happened?” He felt disoriented, like he was missing something. His body felt like it fit him oddly.

“You tell me! One minute you’re rushing to the rescue, and the next you’re lying on the ground out like a light.”

“Eva!” It all came rushing back and he turned towards where he’d left her. She was still there, but now she was still. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was relaxed. He gingerly reached out to touch her. Her skin was warm and soft, but there were no more visions.

He stood up slowly and took a deep breath. “Let’s get her down to her bed, and see if Bruce can look at her.”

“We should have him look at you too. You flew backwards like she’d punched you. Did you feel anything?”

He waved the shorter man away, and turned towards the girl on the floor. “I’m fine Tony, just call Bruce.” He bent down and picked her up and started walking towards the elevator.

Tony watched him walk away and shook his head. There were too many unknowns in this situation and he didn’t like being a step behind everything. He didn’t like it one bit.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't updated this in ages, in fact, it's been so long I would hesitate to call it a hiatus and instead refer to it as a hibernation..... but here's the next chapter, and I shall endeavor to update more frequently.

Once again she woke up in a large soft bed, but this time the instead of being surrounded by silence, she could hear someone else in the room. It was Him. She could smell him and hear his breathing and steady heart rate. For some reason instead of being nervous that someone was with her when she was vulnerable it made her feel safe. She opened her eyes slowly, and saw that she was in the same room as before, with Rogers in a chair near her bed facing out the window. As she lay watching him stare at the skyline, she mulled over her situation. It appeared to be morning, and her body didn’t feel like it had been laying for very long, so it must be the next day. What had happened? She flew, she ate, then she collapsed. Was it the flying? Had that caused it? She had a vague feeling that she had forgotten something, as if she’d had a dream that she couldn’t remember.

“How are you feeling?” She realized Steve was looking at her now, his eyes full of concern and something else.

“I feel ok. What happened?” There was no advantage to pretending she knew what was going on with her. She hoped they had some idea.

“You collapsed…” He opened his mouth and started to say something else, then snapped it shut. He looked out the window again and brushed his finger over his chin lightly. Something was bothering him, that much was clear. “Do you remember anything else?”

Eva desperately needed to know what he was holding back. “Nothing. I just felt really tired and shaky, then everything went black.”

“Does the name Dr. Butler mean anything to you?” He searched her face for a sign of recognition.

“No. Why?” She was being honest; the name didn’t ring any bells. She was mentally going through each doctor back at the lab to see if she could assign the name to any of them. They had been very good at staying anonymous to her.

“You said it while you were out.”

She shook her head, still searching her memory. “Nothing.” A wave of hope washed over her. “If I said it, there must be a reason. That means that my subconscious is working on something. It’ll work it out eventually, I’m sure.”

Rogers features lifted into a hint of a smile. “Yes, I’m sure.” For some reason, his agreement sent a wave of affirmation rolling over her. It felt good, and she hated it.

Then he stood up “We would like Dr. Banner to take a look at you. He checked your vitals last night, but we would like your permission for him to do a full check. Would that be ok?”

“Right now?” She knew exactly why she felt uncomfortable, and hoped it wasn’t too obvious to Steve. The thought of another doctor poking and prying at her was unbearable, but she feigned indifference, and finished with, “I’d at least like to clean up and eat first. I’m starving!”

“We’d like you to get checked out as soon as possible, but of course you should get comfortable first. I’ll get some food started.” He turned towards the door, then paused for a second and looked back at her. He smiled again, then left.

 _What in the great green world is going on with you, girl? Get yourself together. You can’t just fall all over yourself the instant someone is nice to you. And who is this Dr. Banner? That sounds ominous. I wonder if I can get up to the roof and get out of here before they have a chance to take me to him….._  That was ridiculous. If the flying had caused the collapse, then if she flew out of here she’d end up blacking out who knows where with no one to help her. She felt trapped.

Eva got out of bed and went into the bathroom and stared at the bathtub. She knew what a bath was, and she knew that she enjoyed them, but for the life of her couldn’t remember ever taking a bath. _Well, I can’t seem to remember anything, so let’s start making new memories. Eva’s first bath._ She turned on the water and looked at the soaps sitting on the ledge. It all looked pretty straight forward so she waited for the water to fill up and turned to inspect the rest of the bathroom. As she turned she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The girl she saw looked familiar. Dark skin, dark hair, large dark eyes. She began undressing and continued to inspect her reflection. She turned around and looked at her wings over her shoulder. Would she get rid of them if could? No one would want to keep her and experiment on her if she didn’t have wings. She had asked herself this question many times during her time in the bunker. She shook her head and slowly lowered herself into the tub. The scalding water closed in around her, and she sighed. She answered question the same way she had answered it in the before. No. She would never give up her wings willingly. She closed her eyes and wished all the thoughts from her brain. Her heart slowed and her mind began to float. This was how she had survived her time in the bunker, and this was how she would survive now.

 

 

The mundane task of making breakfast helped Steve sort his thoughts while he waited for Eva. Ever since he had woken up from his vision, Eva was there in the back of his mind. Not like he was thinking about her, but as if she was connected somehow to his consciousness. He didn’t really notice till she had woken up. He had known the instant she woke up, not because he heard her heart rate but because he could feel it. He knew she was being honest about not recognizing Dr. Butler, he just knew. What the heck was going on? The sooner Bruce looked at her the better.  If she let him. He had felt her fear when he mentioned having her examined. On the plus side, this weird connection helped him know what was going on with her, but it felt like such an invasion of her privacy. He wondered if it went both ways.  

As he buttered the toast he tentatively reached out for her in his mind. She seemed calm. In fact, the feeling he caught from her was one of relative serenity. He smiled to himself. For some reason, her peace made him very happy. He wondered what had calmed her down. _Ah, I bet it’s the bathtub. That tub is the best thing in Stark Tower._ Forget about the sports cars and iron man suits. That deep cast iron bathtub that could easily fit two of him was at times the most valuable thing to him in this building. He imagined her resting in the tub, eyes closed and smiling. The image conjured up feelings he did not feel comfortable with, and he quickly opened his eyes and tried to focus on something else. If he didn’t turn those eggs soon the yolk would end up rubbery. Yes. That was the most important thing at the moment. He cleared his throat and mentally kicked himself for thinking of her that way. _She’s in your care, and has been treated horribly by every person she’s encountered so far. The last thing she needs is someone 70 years older than her imaging her naked in the tub. Get a hold of yourself, Steve!_

He was just putting the dishes on the table when Eva came into the room. Each time he saw her he was taken aback by her beauty. Her skin was damp, and seemed to glow a bit in the morning light. He realized her wings were reflective in the light and wondered if they were soft like bird wings.

“I kept breakfast pretty simple, just eggs and toast and bacon. I hope you don’t mind.” He started bringing the food over to the table.   
  
“That’s more than fine, thank you.” She looked around before heading to the same chair she’d used the day before. “Where’s Tony?”   
  
“He has a business meeting today, but he was very concerned for you last night and asked me to keep him in the loop. I let him know that you’re awake and seem ok, I hope you don’t mind.” He felt an odd flicker from her in the back of his mind at his last sentence. She probably wasn’t used to people caring about what she thought.  
  
“No, I don’t mind.” She stayed quiet and focused on her food.  
  
Steve wondered if she could feel him like he could feel her, but he didn’t know how to ask. What if she couldn’t?! He didn’t think she would appreciate him having this advantage over her. He was sure that’s how she would see it. But what if she could feel him? What then?

 

“How are you feeling?” Steve could sense an overall weariness to her, and he still felt that she wasn’t a hundred percent. He wondered if she would be honest with him.

“I’m much better than last night. Thank you.” She grabbed another piece of toast and proceeded to slather it with butter and jam.   
  
Hmmmm. It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. He wished she would trust him.  
  
“That’s good to hear. I’d like to tell you a little bit about Dr. Banner if you don’t mind.” Outwardly she seemed unaffected, and continued to cover her bread in absurd amounts of jam, but he could feel her tense up. The contrast between what he could see and what he could feel from her was dizzying.

“Dr. Banner is a genius level scientist and was working at Culver University when he was recruited for a project that was supposed to make people immune to gamma radiation. The experiment when wrong, and Dr. Banner has suffered some unfortunate side effects. The reason I’m telling you this is because you should know that before he came to us, he was being hunted by people who either thought he was a threat that should be neutralized, or a freak to be experimented on. He knows the fear of being trapped and examined like a lab rat. He is no threat to you, and may even understand you better than most.” As he talked, he could feel the tension unravel from her. She still hadn’t reacted physically, she was calmly eating her toast, but he was glad he said something. Her anxiety was slowly easing out of her.  As odd as his connection was to her, it was coming in handy.

Eva finished her toast, took a drink of orange juice and got up from the table. “Well, let’s get this over with.” Her eyes widened, and she realized that she had just let slip how much she dreaded seeing the doctor, but Steve didn’t seem to notice and just started cleaning up plates and putting them in the sink.

She began clearing the table, but mentally she was berating herself. _How could you get that comfortable around him, you idiot!? He’s taking you to see some scientist and you’re confiding in him! Get a grip!_

Ever since she woke up she seemed to be even more connected to him than before. She felt like she would know where he was no matter how far away from her he went. It was a tangible, physical awareness that she had never felt before. Even moving around the kitchen during clean up was a smooth dance. It was like they each subconsciously knew what the other was about to do, so there was no awkward shuffling. Eva focused on how odd it was and tried not to think about how good it felt.

When the kitchen was clean, Steve looked over at her, “Ready?”   


Eva just nodded walked out the door towards the elevator. “Am I really getting my own apartment?” She nodded towards the door as she passed it. Steve was a few steps behind her but he knew what she meant. “If you want it, it’s yours. The work should be done tomorrow.”

She nodded, took a deep breath and stepped on to the elevator. Steve joined her and pressed the button for Bruce’s lab. If being on the elevator had been difficult for her before, it was torture today. Yesterday all she’d felt was a bit of fascination with the man, today it was like he was a part of her. The farther the elevator traveled, the tighter the anxiety in her belly became. Some part of her wanted to reach out and touch Steve and have him reassure her – the thought shocked her and she quickly pushed it down. That was unthinkable.   


The elevator dinged and the doors opened.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 

The elevator doors opened into a state of the art lab. Eva was intimately familiar with labs and while this one had the same sterile smell and the same machinery whizzing and beeping, the atmosphere was markedly different. Off to the side behind large, glass double doors was a small kitchenette with a breakfast bar, and she could smell green tea and….something else. Before she could spend too much time trying to identify the other smell, a pleasant looking man came towards them.   


“Hi Eva, I’m Bruce. Steve tells me you had a bit of an incident last night?” Dr. Banner started to extend his hand, then seemed to think better of it and dropped the arm down again.   
  
This man wasn’t anything like what she expected. He had a weariness to him that told a tale of hardship and loss. He looked like the opposite of a threat. She inhaled to get a better read on him and was hit with an overwhelming duality. That’s what she smelled when she came in. On the surface he had a light, pleasant smell, but there was a sharp smell underneath that seemed to warn of danger. She wondered if it was caused by the accident that Steve had mentioned.   


She inclined her head towards him, glad that everyone seemed to respect her space and no one tried to touch her. He barely glanced at her wings then turned and motioned for them to follow. They walked to the far corner of the lab into a smaller room. The room had more medical equipment surrounding an exam table.

“Um….yes, I went for a flight, but when I got back I was shaking with exhaustion and ended up collapsing. I didn’t wake up until a little bit ago.”

“Have a seat here,” Dr. Banner pointed towards the exam table and turned to get a stethoscope.   
  
As she sat, Steve cleared his throat awkwardly and moved to leave the room. “I can go, if you want.”   
  
At that Eva’s anxiety ramped up and it took all of her self-control not to beg him to stay. She barely glanced at him and shrugged. “If you want.”   
  
Steve was torn. He felt her fear spike when he moved to leave, but at this point he couldn’t very well stay without a reason and she was never going to ask him to stay. “I’ll be just outside the door.”

She glanced at him and raised her eyebrows like she didn’t care one bit, but he could feel her relax slightly.   


He tried to imagine what it would be like to try to navigate her stoicism without the advantage of being able to sense her moods, and realized that the connection they shared might be the only reason she hadn’t taken off yet. It also made him swell with pride that she wanted him close.

He took his place outside the door and turned his attention to what he could feel from her. Anxiety and fear, but also a bit of curiosity.

 

 

The exam table was surprisingly comfortable compared to what she was used to, maybe it was the fact that it was slightly heated or maybe it was the fact that there were no restraints.  She looked over at Dr. Banner who was looking at something on the computer screen to her right.   
  
“I’m looking up the data that Tony found at the bunker so I have an idea of what base is for you before I begin the exam. Though I doubt anything you were experiencing there was really normal for you. More than likely stress skewed their measurements. But it’s the closest to a baseline we’ve got.”

Eva blinked. She’d never had anyone talk to her like she was a person during an exam, let alone tell her what they were doing. It made the whole familiar process seem new and slightly less terrifying.

Dr. Banner then turned towards her with the stethoscope. “Can I take listen to your breathing and heartrate now?” Eva nodded.

He came closer to her than anyone had without hurting her and it took all of her will power not to flinch or move away. He gently placed the stethoscope on her back right under her left wing. “Deep breath, please”

She complied. The he moved to her right side. “Now I’m going to listen to your heart.” He moved in front of her and placed the tool on her chest. “Would you please extend your wings and move them up and down a bit?” He asked gently.

He was so gentle and considerate, she felt emotional and her heartrate seemed to be going all over the place. She couldn’t let him know, so she focused on moving her wings in tandem with her breathing.

 

The doctor pulled away from her and looked into her eyes with an understanding that shook her.  “Your heartrate is very irregular, I need you to be honest with me, do you feel like that’s normal, or is the stress of the exam affecting you?”

Should she be honest with him? She hesitated. Her instincts were telling her to trust him, but her experience was telling her to lie her ass off.  “I’m just not used to anyone being this nice to me. That’s all” She looked away quickly.

The underlying dangerous smell that clung to him seemed to become stronger and the doctor took a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes snapped back to him and he was immediately back to normal. It happened so fast that she almost wondered if she had imagined it, but the smell still lingered. It took her a moment, but she realized what had happened. She had witnessed his anger. She flinched inwardly. Had she caused it? Was he angry at her?

“I promise you I will never knowingly cause you unnecessary pain, or do anything without your consent.” There was an intensity to his eyes that told her she could believe him. He wasn’t angry at her, she realized, he was angry at the other doctors. The ones that had hurt her. It made her very glad that his anger was not directed at her, because she could tell that while he was a good man, he could be a very dangerous enemy. Something powerful lurked just beneath the surface.

Eva tentatively reached out and took his hand. “Thank you.” Her anxiety unraveled and for the first time she felt that there was a chance she might stay here a bit longer. Had she just made a friend? She wasn’t sure exactly how to know if someone was your friend or not, but this man might be.

He smiled at her and put away the stethoscope. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m not really a medical doctor. I take care of the team because I’m usually the only doctor they need. Cap and Natasha rarely need anything more than a few stitches or a splint, and if anyone needs anything more involved, the 8th floor houses an entire state of the art medical lab. They’re just more comfortable having one of their own see to them.

He came over with a small patch with a blinking light on it. “I’d like to put this here, near your heart and let JARVIS monitor your heart rate so we have more data. Hopefully you’ll be relaxed for part of that and we can get a good reading. Is that ok?” He waited for Eva to nod before placing it on chest.

“I’d also like to get a bit of a read on your brain activity if it’s all right. I’ll put these on your head, and then we can walk around the lab and talk for a bit while it gathers data.” He lifted up a few more little sensors and showed them to her.   
  
“What kind of data?” She wasn’t really concerned, just curious. He was the only person she could think of that made her feel entirely at ease. Even the part of her brain that viewed every person as a threat was strangely quiet which was odd, considering she was convinced he was the most dangerous person she’d ever interacted with in her life.

“Mostly synapse speed and activity levels. Based on what I’m seeing in your files and what I’ve measured of your physical abilities, your brain is also augmented. It seems odd to me that given your physical and mental prowess you collapsed the way you did.” Eva nodded in agreement. “I also would like to take a blood sample. If you’d like you can stay with me while I analyze it and watch me dispose of it afterwards.”   
  
The offer sealed the deal in her mind. This must be what having a friend felt like. “Bruce…” She couldn’t bring herself to call him doctor. “I trust you. Do what you need to do.”   
  
Bruce smiled again and it made her very happy to see it. She got the sense that he didn’t smile often. He reached forward in very even careful movements, so as not to startle her, and began to place the nodes around her head. Then he retrieved a syringe from a drawer and turned towards her. She extended her arm towards him and watched as he drew a few vials of blood. “You should drink some juice to keep your blood sugar up since I took blood.” He busied himself with various machines and dials, and she just sat and watched him, entirely at ease.

Then she felt Steve get farther away from her and she sat up straighter. Where was he going? She took deep breaths and relaxed when she realized he had only moved a few feet. _Why do I care!? Also, more importantly how the heck did I know he moved? How do I know where he is all the time? What’s happening to me?_

Dr. Banner turned toward her, “Are you ok? Your heart rate and brain activity spiked.”   
  
“I’m ok, just some anxiety.”

“Do you mind if I examine your wings? I don’t need to for your wellbeing, and I’ve seen the details from your file, but I would love to look at them personally.” He looked almost embarrassed to be asking this of her.

Impressed at his honesty, she smiled and stood up extending her wings completely. “Knock yourself out.”

Bruce reached out tentatively and touched one with the flat of his hand. He stroked it gently then began to feel the bone structure underneath. “Amazing. Just amazing” He continued his examination, but for the first time, instead of a sinister interest in the wings for personal gain, she felt a sort of reverence from him. Like he was touching a priceless artifact – no, more like a wild lioness was allowing him to touch her fangs or feel her claws.

He finished, and turned to her. “They’re not like bird feathers.”

“No. They’re not.”

Eva reached out and plucked a feather from her right wing. It was a small feather near the base. “Here,” she said handing it to him. “Study it if you’d like. Just share with me what you find. That’s all I ask. I really don’t know very much about myself. Just what Stark showed me in the file.”

“Thank you.”

“What’re friends for?” She winked at him and laughed a little.

 The doctor smiled, nodded and turned away. “You can go back out if you want, just stay in the lab or the sensors will be out of range.

“Thanks.” Eva got up off the exam table then stopped. “You said Steve never really needs medical care. Why’s that? When I first saw him I pushed him hard enough to break bones, but he’s fine.”

Bruce turned and regarded her for a moment. “Steve has his own story to tell, but I will say that he was injected with a serum that changed his biology. It turned him into a super soldier. There are aspects of his biology that we are still learning about to this day.”

“Oh.” She pondered for a moment. “Does everyone on the team have abilities? You mentioned someone named Natasha. Is she like Steve?”

“Natasha is nothing like him and a little like him at the same time.”

Eva took a second, then said, “She’s physically improved upon, but different from him in experience and personality?”

“Exactly.” Banner smiled yet again. “I think we’re going to enjoy each other’s company. I hope that we have a chance to interact outside of the lab.”   


“I would like that.” It was Eva’s turn to smile. She turned and went out to find Steve.

 

 

 

Steve stood outside the door anxiously, hoping Eva’s nerves didn’t cause her to do anything to provoke the Other Guy. He didn’t think it was likely, but as soon as he left the room he felt her anxiety ratchet up, and he started imagine the worst-case scenario.   
  
Surprisingly, he felt her relax gradually and then he even felt a pang of heart ache from her. He wondered what they were talking about. Slowly he could feel her unravel almost completely. He liked Bruce, but they’d never really connected on a personal level, he didn’t get the man quite the way Tony did. He was glad Eva seemed to like him, though.

The elevator dinged and he moved a few feet away so he could see who it was. As soon as he started moving, he felt her tense up again and reach out mentally. So she _could_ feel him! She brushed his consciousness, then relaxed again. Had she felt him moving away? Could she feel his emotions like he felt hers? He felt a combination of giddy and terrified. His internal discoveries were completely pushed out of the way by the arrival of Tony Stark.   
  
“Hey Capsicle, how’s our girl doing?”  He moved over to a computer and started fiddling with something.   


Steve ignored the way he bristled at Tony calling her “our” girl. She didn’t belong to him either so why should he care what Tony called her? “She’s in there with Bruce right now.”

“You left her alone with him?! What if she goes cuckoo for cocoa puffs again?!” Tony stopped what he was doing and looked towards the exam room.

“They’re fine, Tony. Bruce is the perfect person to see her. I doubt anyone could be more sensitive to what she’s been through than him.”

“Oh, it looks like he’s got a heart and brain monitor on her. I wonder how he talked her into agreeing to that!”

“Knowing Bruce, he probably just asked her nicely.” Steve said drolly.

The exam room door opened and Eva strode toward them gracefully. “Mr. Stark, nice to see you again. Thank you for your concern over my wellbeing, I’m feeling much better.” She inclined her head toward him.

“Of course, I can’t have my favorite angel falling out of the sky, can I!” Stark missed the look that flitted past her eyes, and proceeded to start talking about the new vitals monitoring system that he and Dr. Banner had developed together.   
  
Steve saw the look and felt the emotion behind it. Fear. Was it fear of Stark using her for his own means? Was it a reaction to the nickname he’d used? Was it the fact that he used the words “ _my_ little angel” denoting possession? She was far too fragile emotionally to deal with Tony’s high handed flamboyancy right now.

But in true Eva fashion, she merely laughed and began asking Tony to show her around the lab. This girl had a spine of steel. Steve marveled at how in control of herself she was.

He moved away from them into the exam room. “How’d it go, Doctor?”

Bruce glanced away from the monitor then back. “She’s a really sweet girl. I hate that she’s mixed up in all this.” He shook his head and looked down at the feather in his hand.

“Did she give that to you?” Steve wondered. She must really feel comfortable with the doctor if she willingly gave him a feather.   
  
Bruce nodded and placed it under a microscope. “Look”

Steve bent to look. It looked like just about anything else you put under a microscope, which didn’t mean much to him. He looked up quizzically. “Ok….?”

“It’s not made out of the same material as a bird feather.” He pulled up an image on a monitor. This is a bird feather. Then he pulled up another image. “This is her feather.” The two images looked very different.   
  
“What is it, then?”

“If I didn’t know it was impossible, I’d say it was organic Vibranium”

“Like my shield?!”

“Exactly like your shield. Except it’s organic….her body produces it. And it’s flexible which makes zero sense….. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“What does that mean? Her wings are bulletproof?”

“Essentially, yes. She could use them as a shield of sorts. If I’m right, they’re pretty much impervious to anything your shield could handle.”

“Huh.” Steve rocked back on his heels. This was a lot to take in. Suddenly he felt a little spike of pleased contentedness from Eva. That was odd.  


“Yep” The doctor agreed. He went back to monitoring her heart and brain activity, when he suddenly got a look on his face. “Let’s go out into the main lab”

Steve followed behind him, wondering what Bruce had seen.

They joined Tony and Eva, Steve walking right up to them, and Bruce stopping at a computer. Tony turned to Steve, “I was just telling Eva how impressed I was at her quick grasp of quantum mechanics. She doesn’t seem to have any formal training, but she picks it up like breathing.” He looked over at Eva, “If you want a place in the lab, just say the words!”

Eva’s face remained a mask of pleasant civility, but Steve felt the same spike from her as before. It was in response to Tony’s compliment. Interesting.

“Thank you for your generous offer, Mr. Stark.”

Tony waved away her comment, “Just call me Tony!”

“Hey Tony, can you come here for a second. You keep changing the settings!” Dr. Banner waved Tony over to join him at the terminal.

“What settings?” Tony looked over Dr. Banner’s shoulder and read what the man had typed. “Hmmm. Ok.”

Dr. Banner left Tony at the computer and walked up to Eva and Steve. “I just wanted to tell you that you did great today, Eva. I know you were anxious and this brought up a lot of bad memories for you, but you trusted me and that means a lot.”

Steve felt that same spike from her again, then his jaw almost dropped when Eva clasped Bruce on the shoulder and responded by giving him a genuine smile. “No, thank you.”

 

 

Bruce shuffled away awkwardly to join Tony. He looked at the other man and typed “See?”

Tony took out his phone and texted for a second then put the phone down. Bruce shook his head, “She’s not dumb. If we keep doing it she’s going to know something’s up.” He typed.

Tony shook his head and took the keyboard, “Just one more.”

Steve’s phone beeped, and he glanced at it. He put it away with a furrowed brow.

“What’s wrong?” Eva looked up at Steve.

“Nothing, I just got a text that didn’t make much sense, that’s all.” He hesitated for a moment, glanced towards the two men at the computer then looked back at Eva. “I know Dr. Banner already thanked you, but I just wanted to tell you that I appreciated how well you did today and I really meant a lot to all of us that you trust us enough to let the doctor examine you.”

The spike he’d felt before was nothing compared to the wave of warmth that she felt when he said this. Unsurprisingly she didn’t let any of it show. She smiled again, but it was not the same genuine smile she gave to Bruce. “If you guys don’t stop flattering me, I’m going to start wondering what you’re trying to get from me.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, this is a new chapter of your life, and I hope you receive all of the compliments you deserve.” Steve was sad to see that she was on the defensive again. “How about we ditch these guys and get something to eat?”

Eva nodded and turned towards Stark and Banner. “Do you have the information you need? Can I go?”

Bruce looked up from the screen, “We have more than enough. Thank you again.”

Eva pulled off the senors and set them on the table next to her then headed to the elevator.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been so long since the last update! Time has just been flying by! I apologize for the short chapter, but I wanted to get something posted. The next chapter will be on its way soon!

As Eva stood next to Steve in front of the elevators, she mulled over her interactions with Bruce. Nothing in this damn place was what she expected. The more she learned about their eclectic group, the less likely it seemed that they were working with the people who had held her in the bunker. She flexed her wings in a bit in frustration. She felt adrift and purposeless.

In the bunker at least she had a goal – Survive and escape. Now she had nothing. She almost reached out mentally for Steve then caught herself. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He seemed content to stand next to her in silence, but she was concerned about this inexplicable connection she felt to him. Well, her new goal was to get to the bottom of it. Step one: Find out everything she could about Steve and try to get her memory back.  
The elevator dinged and they both stepped inside. Steve turned towards her, “Lunch back at my apartment? Maybe afterwards we can check on your apartment, it’s almost finished but it would be nice for you to have some input. “

“That sounds nice” Eva looked at the brightly colored buttons as Steve sent them to the twentieth floor. She had noted earlier that the labs were on the 12th floor. She had also noticed that the air vents in the building seemed oversized. It would be nice to have some time to herself so she could do some reconnaissance and develop a system for traveling the building undetected. She would have to figure out how to circumvent JARVIS. The AI seemed a bit too smart for it’s own good. Stark was not one to underestimate.  
She was well aware that she was trying to think about anything except for the solid presence directly to her right. She took a deep breath and was reminded again that for some reason he smelled safe and familiar. She was simultaneously nervous about being alone with him and relieved that she would finally get a chance to find out more about him.  
As the elevator reached Steve’s floor, she felt his voice rumble behind her, “You’re thinking really hard. How are you doing? How did you like Dr. Banner?”  
  
She moved towards Steve’s door and answered in a measured tone, “There’s a lot for me to process. I feel a bit overwhelmed.” She paused, “Bruce was not what I expected at all, he is very kind.” She knew if she showed him some vulnerability he would be more likely to open up to her questions. But she was also finding it harder and harder to keep her guard up with him.

As she opened the door she was surprised at how relieved she was to be back in familiar territory. She stretched her wings a bit and realized she was both hungry and tired. She stepped into the kitchen and looked at Steve. “Would you mind showing me how to cook something?”

Steve’s face broke into a huge grin as he bounded into the kitchen. “I would love to!” As he started opening cabinets he asked, “What sounds good?”

Eva tilted her head and pretended to think about it. “Why don’t we make your favorite lunch food?”  
Internally Steve grimaced, but he tried to keep his feelings to himself. He could tell she was digging for information, not actually interested in his favorite food. He couldn’t blame her, but she looked so believable, it hurt to know it wasn’t genuine. Well, if she wanted information about him, he had nothing to hide.

“When we could afford it, my favorite lunch was creamed chicken on toast.” He closed his eyes and remembered Bucky’s mom insisting he sit down and eat with them after church on Sunday. He still felt humbled and honored that she would invite him to share a meat based meal with them.  
So he had grown up poor. Eva filed that away and pressed on. “That sounds great!”

Again, they moved together seamlessly in the kitchen while Steve got the ingredients and Eva found the dishes they’d need. The meal came together easily and she started feeling a bit more at ease being alone with him. The pull to be near him didn’t disappear completely, but the longer they were close, the more relaxed she felt. It was almost like she was recharging. She didn’t feel nearly as tired and even lost track a bit of her self-imposed espionage mission.

Steve didn’t seem ashamed of his roots, but didn’t dwell on his childhood poverty. He discussed his desire to join the military, touched briefly on his mother, but then his face really lit up when he talked about his best friend, Bucky. They settled the plates on the table as he told Eva of their shenanigans and how bold Bucky could be with the dames.  
Steve was halfway through telling her about Bucky’s ill advised decision to spike the punch at a dance when Eva abruptly remembered her goal in finding out more about him. Something wasn’t adding up. She didn’t have a lot of experience with “normal” life, but she had a huge database of information stored in her head, and her subconscious had been logging subtle turns of phrase and references that didn’t seem to fit.

From what she understood, it wasn’t common to call women “dames” and dances were not a common past time for young people outside of school hosted events. Having meat with every meal was usual in modern America and while she wasn’t completely caught up on current events, she was fairly certain the only war people called The War was World War II. She nodded and smiled, but she was having a hard time sorting out what Steve was trying to accomplish. He seemed genuine as he told his stories, and she was sure there had to be some truth to them, but how would he benefit from setting his youth in the 1940’s? She didn’t want to come out and ask him about it, so she set her confusion aside and just watched him tell his story. He talked with his hands and had an easy way about him. He sometimes got a far away look in his eye when he mentioned Bucky, and referred to him in the past tense. She wondered if he passed away in The War.

As they finished their meal, Eva found herself looking forward to clean up. There was something soothing about way they moved around each other during the task. Her stomach was full, she felt fairly safe, and her mind was more at ease than it had been in a long time. She gazed longingly at the large window in the living room and the patch of sun that had landed on the edge of the couch. Her brain felt calm and spacey in a pleasant way. Did he drug me? The thought almost brought her out of her haze, but it flitted past and her mind was pleasantly empty again.

Steve put away the last dish and looked at her.

“Hey, do you want to just sit and digest for a minute before we look at your apartment? I’m stuffed!”

That was exactly what she wanted, it was almost like her read her mind. She mumbled something that sounded vaguely like, “Sounds good” and moved over to the sunny patch she had been eyeing. There was something niggling at her subconscious, bothering her but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She felt warm and content, so she pushed the feeling away and just relaxed. She curled up in the sun and watched the clouds move lazily through the sky. She felt the couch move as Steve sat near her, but she couldn’t bring her self to care about his proximity. She just let herself drift.

As Steve sat down on the couch next to Eva, he could sense the dreamy emptiness in her mind. He knew he should be concerned, but he was feeling it too, and he just couldn’t seem to hold onto anything negative. He sifted through what he was picking up through their connection. She was content, warm, safe and….sated. As if she had been hungry for something and was finally full. He felt the same way. As if his whole life he had been empty and suddenly he wasn’t. He didn’t give it much thought before he moved onto his side and closed his eyes.  
  


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Since being pulled from the ice, sleeping and waking were Steve’s least favorite activities. He often dreamt of the ice, waking with jolt, frozen to the core. When he didn’t dream of ice, he dreamt of Bucky. The Bucky dreams were the worst. He could never seem to dream about the good times or the laughter. The Bucky in his dreams was angry, empty and violent. The dreams were chaotic, waking him in a cold sweat, teeth clenched, ready to fight.   
  
For the first time since waking in the modern world, he woke up gradually. There was a pleasant heaviness to his limbs, and he snuggled into the warmth pressing down on him. His blanket smelled heavenly and was silky soft. As he slowly came to, he realized that his blanket was actually one of Eva’s wings that had come to rest on top of him. She wasn’t awake yet, and he took a moment to look at her.   
  
He was laying on his side near the corner of the sectional couch. She was laying next to him, curled into herself and mostly covered with her other wing. Her face was smooth and open with none her cultivated neutrality. She looked younger this way. The sun had moved away from their spot on the couch but it still shone off her silver wings, contrasting with her dark features and giving her an angelic glow. Steve could sense that she was about to wake up, and he didn’t think she would appreciate how close they were, so he gingerly slid out from under her wing, stretched and went to use the restroom.   


As he was washing his hands he replayed the afternoon in his mind. Things had been normal, until they weren’t. He tried to put his finger on exactly when things got hazy, but it had happened gradually. It must have something to do with their connection, but he couldn’t bring himself to think of it as a bad thing. He felt more alive and awake than he ever had.

When he felt Eva wake up he couldn’t help the burst of happiness in his chest when he felt her immediately reach out to see where he was. He tried to get a read on her before he went back out. It seemed she was conflicted. But he sensed that she shared his feelings of rejuvenation and calm.   


She was sitting up on the couch when he walked into the room, and she had donned what her called her “neutral mask”. He knew he shouldn’t be disappointed, but he was. He decided it was best to ignore whatever they had shared, so he made a big show of stretching and yawning.   
  
“Wow, that nap was a great idea! Are you ready to see your new place?” He carefully didn’t glance at her while he poured himself a glass of water.   


“Yes, I think that’s a good idea. Thank you. Let me freshen up.” She got up from the couch in a smooth motion and stretched. Steve almost choked on his water. He quickly turned away, the image of her in full stretch burned into his memory. He didn’t turn back around until he heard the bathroom door close. _Get a grip, Rogers._

Eva leaned against the counter in the bathroom and took stock of her situation. She felt amazing. She felt like she could fight an army, fly around the world and run up Mt. Everest before dinner. The thought from before her nap came back. _Was I drugged?_ She didn’t feel drugged, and if the data from the bunker was correct, it would take a massive amount of any drug to affect her. _It was Steve. It had to be._ She just let her guard down and slept in front of a total stranger. _Pull yourself together, girl. You need to get answers and get them fast._  Bruce could help with that. How much should she tell him? She was pretty sure she could trust him, but even that concerned her. She was just trusting people willy nilly. Well, step one was getting her own place. The longer she was close to Steve the more she felt like she was slipping away from herself.   
  
With renewed purpose she joined Steve. The sooner she got away from him the better.

**Author's Note:**

> I've known Eva's character for a while, but I never really had a story for her until I watched the first Avengers movie and it all seemed to fit. I haven't written in a while and this is my first fanfic, so any feedback is appreciated!


End file.
